Lot 257 - 1954 12947 XK120 Drophead Coupé

When Jaguar resumed car production in 1945, it dropped its pre-war sports car line to concentrate on saloon manufacture. But at the 1948 Motor Show the firm astonished the public by announcing a new two-seater roadster; the XK120, with the name reflecting its top speed. It heralded the arrival of Jaguar's famous 3.4-litre twin overhead camshaft XK engine, intended for the Mk. VII saloon, then two years away. Its chassis was essentially a shortened version of the simultaneously announced Mk. V saloon, with torsion bar independent suspension and its comfort and road holding set new standards for British sports cars.

In May 1949, on the Jabbeke to Aeltre auto route, a model with its hood and sidescreen in place recorded a speed of 126mph and no less than 132mph with the hood and windscreen detached and an under-tray fitted. The car was in almost instant demand and it caught Jaguar by surprise. The first 240 examples retained coach-built aluminium bodies before pressed steel took over. The open two-seater model was joined by a fixedhead coupé version in 1951 and a drophead coupé followed in 1953. The 120 lasted until 1954 before making way for its XK140 successor. It was to prove the most popular of the series, with 12,061 examples built, and of these only 295 were righthand drive drophead coupés like the car offered here.

This original righthand drive Jaguar XK120 drophead coupé was supplied by Appleyard of Leeds in January 1954 finished in Dove Grey. It was imported back to the UK in 1983 after being repainted in white and since that time it has had three owners. In 2005 this XK120 was subject to a ground up restoration repainting the car in Old English White with red leather interior and black mohair roof. This superb example is supplied with a V5C registration document, a Heritage certificate, a file containing invoices from 1993, old registration documents, old MoT test certificates; the last having expired in June last year, and a photograph album containing pictures of the restoration in 2005. A very rare opportunity to acquire a nicely restored and rare righthand drive Jaguar XK120 Drophead Coupé which represents an ideal investment opportunity for the prudent collector.